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The best college football player right now is not Trinidad Chambliss. It's not Kamario Taylor. He's not even Jeremiah Smith. The best player in college football right now is a freshman who didn't even play his position until his senior year of high school. If you don't already know, I'm talking about Jesse LaGree, the Oregon State phenomenon who is threatening almost every rookie receiving record and is seriously on track to be the first freshman wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy. And before we delve into the numbers and LaGree's incredible story, don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and leave a comment. Thank you. Okay, with a story as juicy as this, I would normally start with something other than
statistics, but LaGree's numbers are so crazy that I have to start there. In his first seven games with the Beavers, LaGree has 46 receptions for 1,040 yards, the most in the nation, in addition to 14 touchdowns, also the highest number in the country. In fact, he has yet to play a game without reaching 100 receiving yards and scoring at least one touchdown. Meanwhile, in his second game, LaGree racked up 240 receiving yards, the most for a rookie in five years, against a ranked opponent like Texas Tech. A few weeks later, he became the first rookie in Oregon State history with three touchdowns in a game, and the following Saturday, he became just the third FBS rookie in the last 20 years with multiple
three-touchdown games. Ultimately, LaGree's historic season has been a key piece in Oregon State's resurgence. By the way, you should check out my friend T-Max's video about that. His brilliance week after week has earned him the Pac-12 Rookie of the Week honor seven times, tying the all-time record. But what makes his season even more incredible is his trajectory, which is not as impressive as you would expect from a rookie dominating in this way. In fact, LaGree didn't even start playing American football until the eighth grade. Growing up, his first love was basketball, which was something typical of his family. His father, Jeffrey, was a basketball coach.
His older brother, Josiah, was a great amateur talent in the Baltimore area, and Jesse was also a gifted basketball player. In fact, Jesse joined the college team as a sophomore at Loyola Blakefield High School and averaged over 10 points per game that year. However, Jesse had fallen in love with American football after giving it a serious try for the first time in eighth grade. The speed, athleticism, and spatial intelligence he displayed on the basketball court helped him stand out as a defender at Loyola Blakefield. And finally, after LaGree reached 1.78 m and stopped growing, it became clear that American football, not basketball, would be his ticket. So, before his senior year, LaGree was transferred from Loyola Blakefield to St. Francis Academy, a
football powerhouse that is usually among the top high school programs in the country. But that wasn't the only big change he made. In his final year, LaGree also changed positions, moving from cornerback to wide receiver, although he also played some defense . As he himself explained, being a short defender makes it difficult to reach the league. But a small receiver with my skill set and mindset is just great. And yes, his skills transferred to the other side of the ball. In his final year, LaGree racked up 712 total yards with six touchdowns, all while continuing to play an impactful defense, I might add. How did it become an offensive weapon so quickly? Well, besides his natural gifts, it certainly helped his development to face elite
competition in training, practicing against four-star safety Jairus Edwards, committed to Alabama, and another four-star cornerback, Raylon Henry, committed to Texas A&M. And LaGree's evolution into a dangerous all-around receiver propelled St. Francis to a 9-1 record and an overtime national championship. In fact, with the title on the line, LaGree led his team in receptions and passing yards, in addition to returning a kick for a touchdown in a blowout that was broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Complete those 10 yards to the target. You can see the heavy rain now here in Baltimore as LaGree watches him start up again.
Another massive return from LaGree, taking it all the way to the end. However, despite being electrifying, LaGree was not a top-ranked recruit due to his inexperience as a wide receiver, lack of game recordings, and his short stature. LaGree was not among the top 1,700 recruits in the country. He wasn't even among the top 30 recruits in the state of Maryland. And that's why LaGree didn't receive much interest from the main programs. Most of the offers he received came from FCS schools such as Towson, Wofford, and Delaware State. At the end of her last season, only one of the "Power Four" schools had contacted LaGree.
I had an offer on the table from Pitt, but they wanted me to play defense. Yes, it's not ideal. But wait, because with the signing day fast approaching, a series of events unfolded that changed the course of history for Legree. First, Oregon State hired a new head coach, Jamarcus Sheppard, who had spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach and co-offensive coordinator at Alabama. After two miserable seasons following the collapse of its conference and a massive exodus of talent, Oregon State needed a fresh start in 2026, the first season of the reconstituted Pac-12. That new beginning started with Sheppard, who brought with him from Alabama Aaron Hodges, the Crimson Tide's
associate director of player personnel. In Alabama, Hodges had played a significant role in recruiting Jahmyr Gibbs, Legree's four-time teammate. And, naturally, while observing St. Francis, Hodges had seen Legree up to his old tricks. So, upon arriving at Oregon State and inheriting a team that had a 2-10 record the previous season and desperately needed talent, including at the wide receiver position, Hodges made it clear to Sheppard that Legree should be a priority. Sheppard agreed and Hodges quickly contacted the St. Francis coach to inquire about Legree. Well, indeed, on the day of the signing, Legree's high school coach informed him that he had an offer to
play wide receiver for the Beavers. An offer that Legree happily accepted, even though it took him to the other side of the country. As he joked in an interview with CBS Sports: "I barely knew Oregon was a state." But, two months into his rookie season with the Beavers, Legree has become the de facto king of Corvallis. He has helped to drive one of the most remarkable changes in college football and, in the process, has become a legitimate Heisman contender. Legree's monster year and second-year quarterback Braden Atkinson's tremendous play make the Beavers boast one of the best offenses in the nation. Oregon State averages nearly 43 points per game and leads the FBS in passing yards per game and
touchdown passes. And with their offense firing on all cylinders, the Beavers have a five-two record, with a three-zero record against conference opponents. And both defeats, I should point out, were against ranked opponents. And in the end, barring a collapse in the final stretch, Oregon State will play its first Pac-12 championship game in three years, with a chance to win its first conference title as a member of the Pac-12. But, increasingly, it seems that Oregon State's season is just the backdrop to Legree's rookie campaign. Because what he is doing right now is truly historic. Now, with four games remaining on the Beavers' schedule, it's safe to say that Michael Crabtree's rookie records of nearly 2,000 yards
and 22 receiving touchdowns are not in jeopardy. However, Crabtree was a redshirt rookie when he stood out for Texas Tech in 2007, while Legree is a freshman. And Legree has a real chance to break the rookie receiving yards record set by Jeremiah Smith in 2024, not to mention the rookie receiving touchdown record, which Legree may well have surpassed by the time you watch this video. And he's not just going after Smith's records, he's going after his Heisman. As things stand, Legree has the sixth-best odds at ScoreBet to win college football's most prestigious individual award and become the first rookie wide receiver to take home the Heisman Trophy. Damn, he would be only the fifth pure wide receiver of any class to win it.
Meanwhile, according to The Athletic's most recent Heisman rankings, Legree is one of only three players with any chance of taking it from Smith, who, it should be repeated, trails Legree in almost every statistical category, but plays against better competition in the Big Ten. Frankly, Legree has been so good that it made some people worry that he wouldn't last long at Oregon State, that he would enter the transfer portal at the end of the season and go to a bigger program. In fact, Chad Ochocinco, a proud Oregon State alumnus, was so nervous about Legree leaving that he offered $2 million of his own money in NIL funds to keep Legree with the Beavers. But those fears, it turned out, were unfounded. During
the Beavers' bye week, Legree held a press conference in which he reaffirmed his commitment to Oregon State and announced his intention to return to Corvallis in 2027. Why did you decide to make this decision now, just halfway through your rookie season? To, uh, start the growth at Oregon State, hopefully attract more people, more recruits, and even more transfers to help us. And all I know is that Coach Zack is going to grow this organization into something different in the coming years. Yes, Beavers fans can rest easy and enjoy the show again, because players like Jesse Legree don't come around very often. Not in Oregon State, not anywhere.
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